Four members of ABC Board forego pay, agree to market study

Published: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 2:54 p.m.

Two days after county commissioners gave them $12,000 for “meeting expenses,” four of five members of the Henderson County ABC Board said they'll forgo compensation for the time being.

By a 4-0 vote, the ABC board also voted Wednesday to pay Asheville consulting services firm Martin-McGill $9,000 to prepare a market study. The study will examine what unincorporated areas of the county have unmet demand for liquor sales and where the best location might be for a sixth ABC store.

Commissioners voted Monday to create a $25,000 budget for the ABC board, and County Finance Director Carey McLelland on Wednesday passed out W-9 forms and instructed Chairman Beau Waddell how to expense the county for meeting costs incurred by members, which by statute allows $150 per board member.

“Carey, what if you don't want a check?” asked board member George Erwin, Jr.

“You want direct deposit?” McLelland said.

Erwin said he didn't “want any money right now. I want to wait to see if we're going to be moving forward,” after Martin-McGill's analysis comes back. The three other board members present — Waddell, Rick Holbert and Patricia Jones — also said they'll forgo pay, at least until consultants say a sixth ABC store is viable.

Board members have indicated that if Martin-McGill's study determines there isn't sufficient demand for another county package store, the ABC board would likely disband. But Erwin said Wednesday the market study might still prove valuable if circumstances change in the future.

“I could see them coming back and saying, ‘You need 15,000 (people) to serve,' and we only have 9,000 (people) to serve,” Erwin said. “So if this committee comes back... and we vote to disband, at least there's a study in place for the county that, several years down the road, if that population reaches that 15,000 mark, they could fall back on that study we're doing now.”

In the event Martin-McGill identifies a prime location for another ABC store with sufficient customers to support it, Erwin asked McLelland whether the board needs to submit a budget, given that the county is currently roughing out its budget for fiscal year 2013-14.

“Absolutely, I think we need to plug it in,” McLelland said.

The $25,000 budget approved by commissioners Monday was designed to get the ABC board through June, the end of the current fiscal year. It includes $12,000 for meeting expenses, $3,000 for departmental supplies and $10,000 for professional services.

Waddell said the ABC board asked commissioners to approve $9,000 for the market study, “which in essence got denied. So I think it's legal and relevant that we come up with another proposal that we use a portion of our money to do the study.”

Erwin made a motion to move forward with the Martin-McGill study, which was seconded by Holbert. Waddell said the consultants have indicated it will take about 60 days to complete.

The study will examine demographic characteristics, county population forecasts and target markets; assess competition from five existing ABC stores; look at “jurisdictional constraints” in unincorporated areas; analyze where liquor outlet needs are unmet; and identify the “best apparent location(s) for an initial” ABC store.

<p>Two days after county commissioners gave them $12,000 for “meeting expenses,” four of five members of the Henderson County ABC Board said they'll forgo compensation for the time being.</p><p>By a 4-0 vote, the ABC board also voted Wednesday to pay Asheville consulting services firm Martin-McGill $9,000 to prepare a market study. The study will examine what unincorporated areas of the county have unmet demand for liquor sales and where the best location might be for a sixth ABC store.</p><p>Commissioners voted Monday to create a $25,000 budget for the ABC board, and County Finance Director Carey McLelland on Wednesday passed out W-9 forms and instructed Chairman Beau Waddell how to expense the county for meeting costs incurred by members, which by statute allows $150 per board member.</p><p>“Carey, what if you don't want a check?” asked board member George Erwin, Jr. </p><p>“You want direct deposit?” McLelland said.</p><p>Erwin said he didn't “want any money right now. I want to wait to see if we're going to be moving forward,” after Martin-McGill's analysis comes back. The three other board members present — Waddell, Rick Holbert and Patricia Jones — also said they'll forgo pay, at least until consultants say a sixth ABC store is viable.</p><p>Board members have indicated that if Martin-McGill's study determines there isn't sufficient demand for another county package store, the ABC board would likely disband. But Erwin said Wednesday the market study might still prove valuable if circumstances change in the future.</p><p>“I could see them coming back and saying, 'You need 15,000 (people) to serve,' and we only have 9,000 (people) to serve,” Erwin said. “So if this committee comes back... and we vote to disband, at least there's a study in place for the county that, several years down the road, if that population reaches that 15,000 mark, they could fall back on that study we're doing now.”</p><p>In the event Martin-McGill identifies a prime location for another ABC store with sufficient customers to support it, Erwin asked McLelland whether the board needs to submit a budget, given that the county is currently roughing out its budget for fiscal year 2013-14. </p><p>“Absolutely, I think we need to plug it in,” McLelland said.</p><p>The $25,000 budget approved by commissioners Monday was designed to get the ABC board through June, the end of the current fiscal year. It includes $12,000 for meeting expenses, $3,000 for departmental supplies and $10,000 for professional services.</p><p>Waddell said the ABC board asked commissioners to approve $9,000 for the market study, “which in essence got denied. So I think it's legal and relevant that we come up with another proposal that we use a portion of our money to do the study.”</p><p>Erwin made a motion to move forward with the Martin-McGill study, which was seconded by Holbert. Waddell said the consultants have indicated it will take about 60 days to complete. </p><p>The study will examine demographic characteristics, county population forecasts and target markets; assess competition from five existing ABC stores; look at “jurisdictional constraints” in unincorporated areas; analyze where liquor outlet needs are unmet; and identify the “best apparent location(s) for an initial” ABC store.</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>